Birmingham, Alabama — A Jefferson County jury delivered a $10 million verdict to a former teenage employee who suffered catastrophic injuries at a local HVAC company back in 2019. Destiny Longs, then only 17 years old, endured severe injuries following a workplace accident which allegedly violated Alabama child labor laws.
The lawsuit, initiated by Destiny’s mother, Denisha Longs, highlighted the hazardous working conditions at the facilities run by Comfort Systems USA (Midsouth) and H&M Mechanical Inc., both companies specializing in commercial HVAC systems. Destiny was assigned to the facility by her employer, InTime Staffing LLC, which was also implicated as a co-defendant in the case.
The incident occurred on July 8, 2019, when Destiny, a high school junior from Spain Park High School, was instructed by her supervisor, Roy Lewis, to operate a coil line machine used for fabricating ductwork. Despite her enthusiasm to learn about HVAC technology through her school’s Academy of Craft Training program, the lawsuit claimed that the company failed to provide adequate safety training or proper protective equipment.
According to court documents, the lack of safety measures led to a tragic accident where Destiny’s arms were pulled into the machine’s rollers, wrapping around the machinery and causing immediate and intense pain. It took the efforts of Birmingham Fire & Rescue Service to extricate her from the machine, during which part of the machinery had to be dismantled.
Photographs of the gruesome injuries and the spindle shaft involved were presented as pivotal evidence during the trial. This evidence underscored the severity of the breach of safety regulations and the direct impact on Destiny’s health.
The legal proceedings also revealed that following the accident, Destiny needed emergency medical attention at UAB Hospital, where she arrived still entangled in the machine’s spindle shaft. The physical and emotional trauma from the incident prompted the lawsuit to seek not only compensation but also workers’ compensation benefits and penalties under the Alabama Workers’ Compensation Act.
In addition to the corporate defendants, the lawsuit also targeted co-employee liability claims against supervisor Roy Lewis for his role in the accident, which allegedly led to Destiny facing unreimbursed medical bills, ongoing physical pain and suffering, mental anguish, and permanent disfigurement.
Ultimately, the jury’s decision on April 11 to award $10 million in compensatory damages underscores the legal and ethical responsibilities of employers to ensure the safety and well-being of all employees, especially minors.
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